RE: Hyphenated OpCode Names -- RPG400-L

Well, I agree, season two of 24 was good--I missed this year's season
finally but that's because the rest of the season bored me to tears. 
Anyway, in a world where less that 5 percent of the programming population
uses subprocedures, (my made-up estimate) I think opcode names are
important. More important to me is feature consistency. 
The big problem with you suggestion of using subprocedures as opcode is that
we don't have the same capabilities that IBM does. For example, if EVAL-CORR
came out and I wanted to create a MapDS (Copy Data Structure with subfield
Mapping) "opcode" I could not.

  MapDS(DS1:DS2);

Why? Because IBM does not give us the tools we need to allow any DS to be
specified for parameters and do the work accordingly. So Opcode names are
important, to me.

-Bob Cozzi
www.RPGxTools.com
If everything is under control, you are going too slow.
- Mario Andretti


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Walden H. Leverich
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 10:10 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: Hyphenated OpCode Names

>Should IBM go ahead with its plan to include a hyphen 
>as in EVAL-CORR) in all future operation codes in RPG IV?
>What do you all think? 

Bob, I guess my answer is who cares? I don't mean to sound callous, but
as RPG evolves, and as more people move toward /FREE, what is an opcode?
In the "olden days" an op code went in the op code column, and only IBM
could create an op code. However, these days what about:

NextOrder = GetNextOrderNumber()

Or 

InStock = CheckStockLevel(ItemNo)

Or even better

CreditOK = CheckCredit(GetCustomerForOrder(OrderNo))

These functions are effectively opcodes from my point of view. True,
they're not "pure" codes like eval, chain, setll, etc. but you're going
to see them throughout your code right next to the chains and evals of
the world. And there's no guarantee that they won't be named
Check_Stock_Level() or Get-Next-Order-Number() so everyone better get
used to using their brain.

If that sounds pissy I'm sorry, perhaps I haven't had enough coffee (or
I stayed up too late watching the end of season 2 of 24 on DVD) but it's
a brave new world and the iSeries better get used to it -- actually the
sad thing is that this world isn't new, but we've had our iSeries
blinders on so long we're just noticing it.

-Walden

------------
Walden H Leverich III
Tech Software
(516) 627-3800 x11
WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.TechSoftInc.com

Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)
  


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bob Cozzi
Sent: Monday, 06 June, 2005 22:39
To: RPGIV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: Hyphenated OpCode Names

There are few things I try to stop before they get too far but IBMs
decision
to include a hyphen in all future opcodes is really (in my opinion)
counterproductive to the language. 
I recently did a survey of some 40,000 AS/400 programmers who subscribe
to
my (free) twice-monthly newsletter. I've posted the results of the
survey
below. Of course 40,000 people did no vote, usually around 1000 voters
participate. Based on the results (see below) I'm not the only one.
The direct link to the survey is as follows, however you may have to
register to view the results so I've reproduced them below.
http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc?pollProcess@@.6b257978

Hyphen in OpCode Names?
Should IBM go ahead with its plan to include a hyphen (as in EVAL-CORR)
in
all future operation codes in RPG IV?

Poll Results
Yes   17%
No    78%

Abstain 5%


What do you all think?

-Bob Cozzi